There is something magical about winter – snow covered hills, lights outlining houses, everyone bundled in their coziest outfits. Plus, there’s cozying up by a fire and watching snow fall through the window with Christmas lights twinkling all around you. 

Now that I’ve got you in the Christmas mood, imagine you and your friends are driving to Christmas dinner at a charming country inn. As you come around a bed in the road, you see the twinkling lights of a quaint town, seemingly frozen in time and covered in snow. The view transports you to a cozy and beautiful world where Christmas joy is all that matters. Believe it or not, that’s exactly how Ed Bazinet was inspired to create the Department 56 Villages.

In 1976 the original 6 pieces of the Snow Village were launched. In the early days, the small company was part of Bachman’s, a retail florist in Minnesota. The company’s name was developed from the numbering system of departments at Bachman’s and it stuck. Now, Department 56 has 8 core villages, a line of Snowbabies figurines, a line of Possible Dreams Santa figurines and numerous licensed villages. How did they get there? Come with me on a journey through the history of Department 56 to find out. 

For their first few years, Department 56 produced the original 6 pieces of their Snow Village, but retired them in 1979 to make room for 12 new designs. Fast forward to 1984 and the continued success of Department 56 fueled the creation of a brand-new Christmas Village – the Heritage Village. With the goal of celebrating Christmas through the ages, the Heritage Village includes several series. First to launch was the Dickens’ Village Series, capturing the spirit of Victorian England. Two years later, Department 56 added the New England and Alpine Villages to the Heritage Village Collection. That same year, their iconic Snowbabies were introduced.

In 1988 Department 56 expanded into a new 150,000 sq ft distribution center and has continued to grow from there. In 1990 the North Pole Village was added and the following year their corporate headquarters moved to Eden Prairie NM.

In 1994 Department 56 launched the first of many licensed pieces and promotions when they introduced the Disney Parks Village Series.

Some of their notable partnerships include:

-Starbucks made its Department 56 debut in 1995

-McDonalds and Hershey shops were added to Main Street of the Original Snow Village in 1997

-In 1997 Harley-Davidson became an on-going partner. Today there are more than 25 pieces across several villages

-In 2001 the elves got a caffeine boost when Caribou Coffee came to the North Pole Village

-In 2011 the entire town of Whoville became its own village as a part of the Classic Brands Series.

The Classic Brands series has included pieces from The Simpsons, Frozen, Downton Abbey, Candy Crush, Harry Potter and the Nightmare Before Christmas, to name a few.  

In 1998, Department 56 expanded their line to include Season’s Bay. A year-round village for collectors who want to embrace the magic of every season with a decorative village. Most of the current villages focus on the tradition of the Christmas Village, but there’s also a thriving series of Halloween Villages. 

2009 was a big year for Department 56 as the company was sold to ENESCO. Together, ENESCO and Department 56 have continued to create the same high quality and magical traditions that brand loyalists have spent decades loving and collecting. In the last decade, Department 56 has created more beloved villages and expanded their Snowbabies line to include the sassy “Snowpinions” Collection.

Setting up a holiday village has become a cherished tradition for many families. To help carry on and spread the tradition, Department 56 developed the Silver Series box sets in 2018. These sets were intended to give families an economical way to start the tradition by including everything you need to create a village scene in one box. Since their introduction, this the Silver Series has continued to sell extremely well.

Now that we’ve gone through a bit of Department 56 history, be sure to check back next week when I share 5 of the most popular Department 56 Villages. I’ll be sharing what makes these villages unique and sharing some tips on deciding which Village is right for you. Stay tuned friend!